Turkey: Head of university department removed, not allowed into the campus

Head of the Economics Department in Bogazici University in Istanbul was prevented from entering the campus on Tuesday, a day after the university administration announced that he has been removed from duty.

A Twitter account of Bogazici students posted images of professor Unal Zenginobuz as he was stopped at the gate and not allowed in by university security guards.

Faculty members of the Economics Department published a statement Tuesday to express their reaction against the administration's decision to remove Zenginobuz.

They said:

"The disciplinary proceedings about Prof. Dr. Unal Zenginobuz, elected as the head of the Economics Department with the votes of the faculty members, and his suspension on 22 August for a period of three months, are unacceptable and regrettable."

The faculty members called upon the university administration to immediate withdraw its decision.

Bogazici University's current rector Naci Inci had been appointed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2021 despite strong reactions by academicians and students.

Inci's predecessor was Melih Bulu, also an appointed rector, who was equally unpopular among academicians and students. One of the things Bulu did was to establish a faculty of law, which is still not fully functional after one and a half year.

The Economics Department has always been one of the pillars of Bogazici University.